Across the Gaza Strip, Shifa Hospital is reportedly caring for a substantial number of patients and healthcare workers. The latest update comes from health authorities led by the World Health Organization, signaling the critical pressures inside the facility. According to the UN’s health experts, 25 healthcare workers and 291 patients remained at Al-Shifa hospital, underscoring the heavy demand on medical services in the area (World Health Organization).
The situation remains dire for a segment of the hospital’s youngest patients. WHO indicates that 32 babies are among those receiving care, with medical teams assessing several of them as being in critical condition. In the coming days, international health agencies plan to organize additional missions to transport patients from Al-Shifa in northern and southern Gaza to larger medical centers such as the Nasser Medical Complex closer to the southern Gaza Strip (World Health Organization).
Practical challenges at the hospital are also highlighted by the health experts. The WHO notes that injuries to limbs are prevalent among those admitted, and a number of patients require assistance to move. The spread of infection among wounds has been linked to shortages of antibiotics and to concerns about hygiene within the hospital environment, leading to assessments that the overall situation is severely stressed for patient care (World Health Organization).
Earlier statements from health authorities indicated that Shifa Hospital is among the larger facilities in Gaza and that the scale of demand has stretched resources. The evolving dynamics within emergency care settings in Gaza continue to be monitored by international health bodies seeking to understand needs on the ground and to coordinate aid and safe patient movements as conditions permit (World Health Organization).
Additionally, regional security assessments have described complex conditions affecting hospital operations, including claims about organizational presence and influence within medical facilities. These statements add to the broader context in which humanitarian agencies are attempting to deliver essential health services under challenging circumstances (World Health Organization).